alternatehistory.com

A week after Yehu sacked Bet'el, 'Ah'ab finally responded. He led twelve chariots and 400 skirmishers to drive off the invaders, having received an erroneous report that Yehu had only 500 men. 'Ah'ab approached the city from the north, but the Y----ist camp was in the hills to the south of the city. As the Yis'raelite army marched across the ruined city, they were forced to split up as the chariots picked their way through the ruins.

Yehu's scouts spotted them right away and skirmishers are sent out to engage them while the main army mobilized. The skirmishers hit the main Yis'raelite force while their in the ruins, resulting in 'Ah'ab emerging from Bet'el with only five chariots and no infantry. This realization combined with the advancing Y----ist force causes 'Ah'ab to retreat.

This victory leads to a rush of Y----ist zealots joining Yehu. The rebels march north through the eastern hills, burning the mostly Ba'alist towns and sending a very clear message to the Ammonites that the Yis'raelites were weak. By early 872 BC Ammonite and Moabite raiders were flooding over the border, forcing 'Ah'ab to divert resources to drive off the attacks.

In late 872 'Ah'ab finally beats back the raiders, and together with his brother-in-law Prince Ba'al-mazar of Sur leads a combined force of 5,000 infantry and 1,000 Numidian cavalry against the 3,000 rebels camped outside of Dan....